FairyTale
by WannabeWerewolf
Summary: Magic can be found anywhere. With these feelings, life is a FairyTale... Gureru


**Fairy Tale**

_Without, the frost, the bliding snow,_

_The storm-wind's moody madness-_

_Within, the firelight's ruddy glow._

_And childhood's nest of gladness,_

_The Magic words shall hold thee fast_

_Thou shalt not heed the raving blast._

_And though the shadow of a sigh_

_And tremble through the story,_

_For "happy summer day's" gone by_

_And vanish'd summer glory--_

_It shall not touch, with breath of bale,_

_The pleasance of our fairy-tale_

_-From _Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

The snow had drifted peacefully down, nestling the house comfortably, frosted in the woods. This breath of winter had caused a wave of nostalgia to wash over the Sohma house. The two boys in the house retreated to their rooms, preoccupied with past memories.

A girl stood on the porch, silently and solemnly looking up at the dark sky. Too wrapped up in lost memories, the girl had stepped out without a hat. The fallen snow rested in her hair, giving her the look of a character who stepped out of a fairy book. Her breath misted in front of her, her face peaceful, a small serene smile on her lips.

_Oh...Mom.... _the girl thought placidly, as she watched the peacefully descending snowflakes, _Tonight is beautiful..._

Shigure smiled faintly as he observed the girl from the shadowed doorway. She did look like she stepped out from a fairy tale... a Princess

A fairy tale...that was ironic. After all, writers like himself could construct magnificent worlds, beautiful fairy tales. That was the gift of being a writer he supposed. If only he could use that gift himself...there was a living Princess right in front of him.

He sighed and retreated from the doorway, bare feet padding quietly to the kitchen. So...a fairy-tale. Tohru would be a princess and that would make him....her loyal prince?

Shigure shook his head and chuckled bitterly at the thought. Her loyal prince....that was unnecessary. After all, Tohru already had two princes of her own, he thought as he fiddled with the kettle.Two princes...her own age. And...this feeling really rested on admiration, affection. He could never trouble her with his feelings...although...he did want to unearth those taboo feelings, sugar coated by affectionate words.

The man sighed again, and threw tea bags and water into two standing mugs. With a faint sigh, slightly determined, Shigure scooped up the two mugs, and made his way to the porch.

Tohru breathed in the cold crisp air, watching the patterns of snowflakes as they descended toward the ground. Tohru's mind had wandered, fading in and out of the girl's past. The girl had become the epitome of peace, her mind lifting her off. She was flying, drifting with the snowflakes-

"Are you cold, Tohru-kun?" a quiet, sad voice asked behind her.

"E-eh?" The girl abruptly turned from the yard to face Shigure. Despite the cold, the man wore his usual grey house robe, and bare feet. In his hands were two steaming mugs. However, Tohru kept her eyes to Shigure's face. The usual smirk was gone. It was replaced with a small forlorn smile, and wistful eyes.

Tohru bowed slightly, a small smile on her face. "Shigure-san" she began with her usual polite, cheery air. "You are not cold?"

The man shook his head and thrusted a mug into the girl's hands. He stepped next to her to lean on a post, sipping his own tea silently, eyes watching the snowflakes flutter to the frosted grass directly in front of him. Tohru looked up, eyes wide, at Shigure's figure. She had only seen him troubled on one, maybe two occasions. This may be another time when there was something on the guardian's mind. Nevertheless, a knot of worry rose within Tohru.

"Shigure-san...are you feeling ill? I could make you some soup if you would li-"

"No thank you Tohru-kun, I am fine" the man responded quickly, finally tearing his eyes away from the winter scene to look at the girl's upturned face. Noticing her wide, anxious eyes, he gave a warm, reassuring smile. "So...It is a nice night, isn't it Tohru-kun?" he asked, voice and smile not reaching within his forlorn eyes.

Tohru's face broke into a relieved smile, and she whirled back to face the frosted yard. "Yes! Mom always said snow was like a poor man's crystal...It was supposed to be cherished and appreciated whenever it fell" The girl's eyes sparkled with those words, her face flushed with cold.

Shigure blinked. "Poor man's crystal..." he murmured to himself. Finally, the man turned back to the scene, sipping his tea absently, mulling over the words. The princess always could make such a scene like falling snow something extroardinary. Magical. A...fairy-tale. He shook his head slighty, sighing. Lately, anything this girl has done could be a parallel to a fairy-tale. Fairy-tales are magical...fantastic discoveries and adventures.

With a sigh, the man sat down on the stair. Setting down his mug, he murmured. "Sit with me please, Tohru-kun"

The girl obliged, setting down her own mug. The crystals in her hair sparkled, giving the girl an angelic appearance. She turned her head up, allowing herself to breath in the crisp dusk air. Maybe Shigure-san was feeling the effects of nostalgia as well. He seemed to be distant, lost in thought. Tohru looked down, noticing Shigure's lack of warm clothing. The man did not even have any socks on. However, Shigure sat, head resting against the beam, seemingly immune to the bitter weather.

Worried, Tohru bit her lip. "Shigure-san, would you like me to get a coat for you?" she asked, somewhat timid.

Shigure slowly lifted his head from the beam and looked at the girl. He gave her a warm, sad smile. "Always thinking of other's Tohru-kun...You are a very admirable person."

The girl's eyes widened. Modestly, she shook her head. "Oh! N-no! Shigure-san, that is very kind of you but-"

Tohru was cut off abruptly by a hand grasped on her shoulder. She looked up questiongly, apologetic to Shigure who stared back at her, eyes kind and stern, hand on her shoulder shaking slightly.

"Tohru" Shigure began. His face determined now, slightly...appalled however? "Never, ever put yourself down like that again" He murmured low, sternly.

The girl's eyes widened, surprised by Shigure's actions. Speechless the girl began to shake her head, modesty almost a defense mechanism now.

That earned Tohru a hand on her other shoulder. Shigure stared at her sternly, almost pleading.

"Tell me, Tohru" He whispered. "How else could you have acquired two princes? They"- Shigure jerked his head in the direction of the house. "have not been close to anybody. The only person who could do that is someone...very special. You do not have to be modest about it Tohru"

The girl blinked. The mention of two princes had caught her attention. "B-but, Shigure-san..." she whispered, staring into his hard, pleading face. "You are a prince too"

Shigure's eyes widened, almost drawing back with shock, the man forced himself to remain holding the girl's shoulders. Her eye's sparkled, reflecting the snowflakes. The girl's hair shimmered with the crystal's settling in it. He drew his eyes over her hair.

...As if she stepped out from a Fairy-tale...

Lifting a hand from her shoulder, he combed his fingers delicately through her hair.

Slightly startled, Tohru looked up to Shigure's now slightly glazed eyes. "Shigure-san..."? she whispered.

He smiled faintly. "There are crystals in your hair Tohru..." he said, by way of explanation. She smiled faintly, allowing the man to bring his hand down the length of her hair. "There are crystals in your hair too, Shigure-san" she mentioned, voice kind, sweet.

He closed his eyes at her words. The tone was enough for him to lean foward...no. How many people had he hurt already? Instead, the man shook his head. Slightly bitter, he whispered, "They will melt soon"

With that, Tohru reached up, laying a hand on his own on her shoulder. Lacing the fingers with her own, she lifted the hand off her shoulder, and extended both hands to the fluttering snow outside. Shigure steadied his other hand so it slightly cupped her cheek as he stroked it through her hair to observe their hands in the snow.

Crystals fluttured down to drop delicately on their extended palms. Amazed with the action, Shigure slowly looked back and returned to Tohru's face. She smiled.

"The crystal's will not ever melt Shigure-san. Mom said that they can't. That is like your heart not functioning she used to tell me"

Shigure smiled. It was not a bitter smile, nor was it sarcastic, joking or cynical.

The smile was warm, genuine.

At that moment, Shigure was a noble Prince, sword at his side. The swirling snow held no effect on the man.

He leaned foward and shyly kissed her, dark hair sparking with the crystals that had rested on his hair. The Princess did not struggle, much to his surprise. After all, the crystals in her hair were not melting either. It was hard to protest a kiss when you received one. Even for Tohru, for when you kiss, you are transported to your Fairy-Tale, and...who would want to come back? And, as she reminded herself, as his hands cupped her cheeks gently, she knew he was a prince. And a Prince meant his Princess no harm. Regardless of who he was, how old he was, or his own actions.

The girl had held a love of Fairy-tales too, and her Noble Prince had always looked after her. She combed a hand through his hair, as he stroked her face, wistfully kissing her, eyes closed. The man's face was finally flushed with the cold.

Tohru smiled as his hair sparkled. The crystals had not melted.

And, as most Fairy-Tales go, they did live happily ever after.

Happy Holidays everyone. Hope you liked it,

Comments and suggestions greatly appreciated


End file.
